Her cognomen was Omm A’bdullah, and her mother was Omm Rumân, the daughter of O’mayr, s. of Aa’mer, of the Bani Wohmân B. Alhâreth B. Ghanam B. Mâlek B. Kanânah. After Khodayjah—m. A. r. h.—had been removed to the highest paradise, the seal of prophets received A’ayshah into the bonds of matrimony when she was but six years old, and consummated it with her in the first year of the exile [A.D. 623], when she had become nine years of age. According to one tradition, her dowry was an amount of goods valued at fifty dirhems, but according to another it consisted of five hundred dirhems. A’ayshah—m. A. r. h.—was, according to the U’lamâ, distinguished by her knowledge of matters pertaining to the religion,* like the companions. In prudence and intellect she was the foremost of all the mothers of the Faithful, so that certain scholars adhere with reference to her to a tradition, according to which the prophet—b., etc.— is asserted to have said regarding her: ‘Take one-third of your religion from this Hamyra.’* Accordingly a great many of the companions and Ta’bi’s [i.e., followers who came after them] have recorded the sayings of A’ayshah. It is related that A’rwah B. Zobayr—m. A. r. h.—said: ‘I never saw anyone more versed in the meaning of the Qurân, and in the ordinances, obligations, commandments, permissions and prohibitions, ceremonies of the Arabs, and knowledge of genealogies, than A’ayshah—m. A. r. h.—and the saying of the lord of prophecy has been verified that “the excellence of A’ayshah is over [all other] women like the excellence of Tharyd* is over all other kinds of food.”’ It is related of Ssiddyqah herself that she said: ‘I was exalted above all other women in ten things. First, no other virgin except myself has obtained the honour to be married to his lordship. Second, the father and mother of none of the mothers of the Faithful had undergone exile for the religion of God except my parents. Third, with reference to my purity and innocence verses have been revealed.* Fourth, before the prophet had married me, Jebrâil showed my portrait, drawn on a piece of silk, to his lordship, and had said: “Marry this person.” Fifth, I and the prophet —b., etc.—washed from one vessel, which honour had not been attained by any other woman. Sixth, when his lordship was praying I was, contrary to his other wives, allowed to remain in bed on such occasions. Seventh, his lordship received no Divine revelations when sleeping with any other woman, except with me. Eighth, the pure spirit of the best of men departed from my bosom [to the next world]. Ninth, his lordship died on the day when it was my turn [to cohabit with him]. Tenth, he was buried in my house.’
In the Raudzatu-l-âhbâb it is recorded that when his lordship the seat of prophecy was asked what man he loved most, he said: ‘A’ayshah.’ They asked: ‘But of men?’ And he replied: ‘Her father.’ It is known from authentic traditions that when the companions sent presents to his lordship, they despatched them to the house of A’ayshah to make them more acceptable. There were two divisions of the mothers of the Faithful; one consisted of A’ayshah, of Hafssah, of Soadah, and of Ssofyah; the other portion of Omm Solmah and of all the other pure spouses. Once the wives of the faction of Omm Solmah—m. A. r. h.—said to her: ‘Request the lord of beings to tell the people not to send their gifts on the day of A’ayshah’s turn, but when they have to present any, to send them to the house of any of the mothers of the Faithful in which his lordship might happen to be at the time.’ Omm Solmah—m. A. r. h.—did as she was bid, but the seal of prophets—the most excellent salutations to him— rejoined: ‘Do not distress me with reference to A’ayshah; for, verily, the Divine revelation has been sent to me in no other woman’s sleeping apartment except in hers.’ Omm Solmah then said: ‘I ask pardon from God for having offended you, O apostle of God.’ When those ladies were disappointed with Omm Solmah, they spoke on the subject to Fattimah, who likewise mentioned it to his lordship, and he asked: ‘Daughter, lovest thou those whom I love?’ She replied: ‘I do.’ His lordship said: ‘Then love A’ayshah.’
In the chronicle of Hâfez Abru an account is inserted from the Rabyi’-l-abrâr and from the Kâmelu-s-sapinah, how Moa’awyah B. Abu Sofyân, who was at Madinah in the year 56 [A.D. 675] for the purpose of the inauguration of Yazid, had insulted Husayn the son of A’li Murtadza, A’bdullah, the s. of O’mar, A’bdu-r-rahman, the s. of Abu Bakr, and A’bdullah—m. A. r. h.—in consequence whereof Ssiddyqah — m. A. r. h. — blamed and reproved him. Moa’awyah therefore dug a well in his house, covered its top with reeds, and placed on these a chair of ebony. Then he invited Ssiddyqah to an entertainment and seated her on that chair, so that she fell into the well, which Moa’awyah covered this time firmly with mortar, and departed from Madinah to Mekkah. In the Raudzatu-l-âhbâb it is, however, recorded that A’ayshah departed this life on Tuesday, the 17th of the month Ramadzân, in the year 58 [A.D. 677], in consequence of a natural disease. She was buried the very night in which she died. Abu Harirah—m. A. r. h.—held prayers over her body, and Qâsum B. Muhammad B. Abu Bakr-us-ssiddyq, with A’bdullah B. A’bdu-r-rahman B. Abu Bakr, mixed with the Qoraish who were digging her grave in the Baqyi’ cemetery and helped to bury her. But [the true] knowledge is with Allah the Most High.